Live Review: Cave, Dead Radio, Making

Sydney band Making's set was characterised by a huge, swirling wall of sound comprised of muddy, metallic guitars and fierce, erratic drumming. This backing was punctuated by mostly shouted vocals, provided by the guitarist and bassist, whose mics were arranged so that each was hurling lyrics across the stage at each other. The band had great energy - drummer Matthew Taylor indisputably knows a lot of cool shit you can do with a drumkit - but unfortunately, they didn't have melody to match. Credit goes to the trio's black skinny jeans though - some of the tightest I've ever seen.
Dead Radio showcased a dark, dreamy grunge-psych sound that blended psych-rock with shoegaze. On show were hazy, gloomy vocals and spiralling guitar soundscapes. The band's woozy, sludgy sound speaks to the diversity of the neo-psych scene: while Tame Impala are enjoying success for their melody-driven psych-pop hits, these east coasters are all about atmosphere, which made showing up early worthwhile.
Chicago's CAVE hold a peculiar space in the music world, drawing equally from jazz and funk influences as well as krautrock and '70s psych-rock. The result is a complex, dynamic rhythmic sound that focuses more on groove than drone. Tracks from the band's new album, Threace stood out, as the band seems more focused than ever on newer songs. The band's set honed in on this precision, with songs that gradually evolved over time and allowed plenty of space for exploratory guitar-work, as the repetitive foundation behind each song made each splash of colour all the more exciting. Perhaps the band's most appealing asset is that they don't rely on the usual array of effects to create the dreamy haze of psychedelia; reverb was dealt out sparingly, and phasers were few and far between. Instead, it was the songcraft and the effortless communication between musicians that took centre stage.